Re: [Paddlewise] Switching paddle types

From: Nick Schade <schade_at_guillemot-kayaks.com>
Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2002 09:09:08 -0400
At 9:17 PM -0400 9/16/02, Rcgibbert_at_aol.com wrote:
>
>A low stroke > will not deeply submerge any blade. Why would a GP be easier to
>>  get
>>  out of the water if it just as deep as the euro?
>
>As the GP comes out of the water past the hip and the "euro" at about the hip
>the slice upwards of the GP seems quicker. As it is past your hip the angle
>upward is less severe. It certainly feels easier pushing a GP from about the
>knee past the hip. It is most likely subjective, whether one prefers either
>type, but a shorter stroke with a "euro" limits its efficiency as subjected
>to the original inquiry of the thread that asked of technique for quick
>propulsion and wind shedding values in dicey areas.

Again, what is it about the GP that makes it come out of the water 
past the hip while the euro comes out near the hip? Looking at the 
paddles I can see no reason why two paddles of the same length would 
come out of the water in different places. It seems this is more a 
function of the person holding the paddle not the paddle itself.

>  >
>>  What is it about the geometry of the GP that makes the geometry of
>>  its stroke any different from a euro?
>
>I wouldn't even fathom explaining the geometrical difference of GP versus a
>"euro". Just looking at them contrastingly speaks volumes. On the serious
>side, I think its stroke is much different than that of a "euro". One stroke
>being taught today, the canted blade stroke, has an entry at about the knee
>and the blade canted between 30-40 degrees. One crunches forward, pushing
>down to achieve torso leverage, not side to side as in rotation. The stroke
>slices upward once past the hip.

Why can't you "cant" a euro paddle? Seems to me that I do and when I 
look at other euro paddlers so do they. Is there something about the 
paddle that makes you feel you can not do a "crunch" with a euro. And 
if there is an advantage to these techniques for a GP, why wouldn't 
those same techniques provide similar advantages to the euro?

BTW people who are really interested in Greenland technique should 
visit http://www.qajaqusa.org/ This site is the site of record for 
information on techniques from Greenland. Greg Stamer is currently 
editing and posting MPEG video clips showing a how the Greenlanders 
are actually paddling.

Nick
-- 
Nick Schade
Guillemot Kayaks
824 Thompson St
Glastonbury, CT 06033
(860) 659-8847
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Received on Tue Sep 17 2002 - 06:09:35 PDT

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